University Hospitals Offers Impactful Lifestyle Medicine Course to all 32,000 Employees
December 20, 2022
CLEVELAND, Ohio – University Hospitals (UH) is a leader in the national healthcare transformation focusing on providing proactive well-care that is as robust as the reactive sick-care system of treating disease. This approach to well-being is at the root of a new continuing education opportunity now being offered to all UH caregivers.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is providing continuing medical education courses at no cost to all 32,000 UH caregivers (both clinical and non-clinical employees). UH is among the first hospital systems to receive such a grant from ACLM. The “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course bundle provides a foundational, evidence-based introduction to the field of lifestyle medicine for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. The course consists of three modules, four presentations and 5.5 hours of content.
“Taking care of others starts with taking care of ourselves. Health is one of our most precious gifts, and in health care we know it should never be taken for granted,” said Francoise Adan, MD, Chief Whole Health & Well-being Officer and the Christopher M. & Sara H. Connor Chair in Integrative Health, University Hospitals Health System and Director, UH Connor Whole Health. “The Whole Health approach prioritizes compassionate care centered on the patient’s entire well-being, and we believe this is the future of medicine.”
According to the CDC, six in ten American adults have a chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more. Examples of chronic diseases include heart disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s estimated that about 80 percent of chronic diseases are driven by lifestyle factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise. These statistics show an urgent need to transform Americans’ health as well as the healthcare system.
“Evidence supports pursuing non-pharmacologic treatments to fight and even reverse chronic disease. This is why we’re so passionate about bringing this lifestyle medicine training to all UH caregivers,” said Cliff Megerian, MD, FACS, UH Chief Executive Officer, and Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair.
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on six therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary way to treat chronic conditions:
- Physical activity
- Restorative sleep
- Stress management
- Whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern
- Avoidance of risky substances
- Positive social connections
ACLM is the medical professional society providing quality education and certification to those dedicated to clinical and worksite practice of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable healthcare system.
Toby Bourisseau, 45, an advanced practice nurse at UH specializing in child psychiatry, completed the course within the first few days it was offered. She plans to use what she learned both personally and professionally.
“I want to help my patients beyond medication and becoming more educated about lifestyle medicine has taught me how to do that,” said Bourisseau. “I also plan to implement this information into my own habits and support my daughter who is battling COVID Long-Haul Syndrome. It can be overwhelming for anyone to think about making huge changes, but the course teaches you that small changes can have a huge impact.”
“At UH, we want to empower people to take charge of their physical, mental, and spiritual health in order to live a full and meaningful life,” said Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer at UH. “This training is designed to boost knowledge and skills that our employees can use to improve not only their own health, but the lives of their patients.”
This lifestyle medicine initiative is just one of the tools in UH’s journey to excellence in well-care – from illness prevention to chronic disease management, which will benefit individuals, families, and the community as a whole.
Tags: Education